Uncoupling mechanism



I. H. MILLIKEN AND. W. l. REGAN. UN-COUPLING MECHANISM. APPLCATloN man ocT.6.1921.

1,417,545. y 'Patented May 30, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WHL/76.55

I y Mtro/Lump Patened May 30, 1922. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

` the art to which it -appertains to make andv p' Unirse stares rare Nro ISAAC H. MILLIKEN, or ASPINWALI., -ANnWIL'IiiAiir J. nneaiir'or rrr'rsiunernj l PENNSYLVANIA, assIGNons To "Tianv iviecoNWaY a'ro'iilnnr'ooivirANY," or PITTSBURGH, rENNsYLvANrn, A eonronarroN or,yriiNNsYLvANIA. y

UNCOUPL'ING iirECnANIsiir. 'V

To all cti/0m it' may cof/warn: y n

Be it known that we, lsAAev Hf, MiLLiiInN and VILLIAM J. REVGAN, citizens of theUnited of Allegheny and State ofl Pennsylvania, have invented certain new Vand useful lm` provements in Uncoupling Mechanism; and

we do hereby declare the following to be a` full, clear, and exact description of the iii-il vention, such as will enable othersskilled in use the same. i

Qur invention relates to uncoupling mechanism for actuating the lock of a car coupler to permit the coupler knuckle to move to open position. The particular embodiment of the `-invention illustrated in the drawings is especially well adapted for applicationto the Master CarpBiiildersy standard D-type coupler employing a bottomy oper-ated lock, but it is apparent that an uncoupling mechanism constructed in accordance with the inventioninay belapplied lto'other forms of couplers. i i

The primary object of the invention is to provide a. reliable uncoupling mechanism of simple and compact form enabling the train man easily to effect an unlocking operation of the coupler lock.

" Appiicatiii inea octoiier e, i921.

Generally stated, the principal feature of ,the invention consists in actuating the lock -of a car coupler by means of a rotatable member -whose center of rotation is located to the rear of the lock at a fixed distancefrom the adjacent end of the car, the said member being supported rearwardly of'said lock vby swinging means adapted to'turnupon the center of rotation of the rotatable member.

A further feature of the 'invention consists in employing a rotatable member to effect an unlocking movement of the coupler lock, and in supporting said rotatable member by means adapted to swing lengthwise of the car and capable of applying to saidkmember a force couple effecting an unlocking rotation of the latter.

Another featurer of the invention consists in actuating the lock ofthe car coupler by means of a rotatable member which is supported rearwardly of said lock by a device adaptedfto swing lengthwise of the car and yto perform v an extended ,port being broken away.` i l.

i Figure 6 is adetailplan .view of therear v oi the uncou'pling levers and a portion of the forwardly extending'rotatable,memberbe1 i i seriaifN. seaeee.

Sneeiication of LettersPatentl l' PilitQlltCud llIL-y.

witlrrespect to which the is slidably movable. 7

There are other features residing in'details ofconstructioiijandkin claiins,-1 'y i Figure l isV a view, partly in side-elevation andvp'artly in section, of an uncoupling .1 i

a coupler shownbeing ofthe well knownlVlas-v ter Car Builders standard Dtype.` a.

mechanism embodying the invention, the car combinations vofparts, asy will hereinafter z i appear and be'pointed out inthe claims. i f f In the drawings illustrating the invention,

. go" thelscope whereof is pointed out^in1the Figure 2 is a view, partly in side .elevation and partly iti-vertical section, of-a portion y of the construction illustrated in Fig. 1,the

parts being shown in the positionsthey-ocf l, i c upy when the coupler lock has been vcaused f unlocking move'- ment. y l

,Figure 3 is a detail sectional viewiyoiithe line 3-3, Fig, 1 `v U j F igurel isa detail viewppartlyfin side elevation and partly in vertical section, lof the rear portion of the finechanism'f.' c

Figure 5 is a -detail sectional view on the line 545, Fig. l, portions of the uncoupling levers anda portion of theswinging suppoition vof the uncoupling mechanism, parts ing broken away. l Figure 7 is'a .detailv end; elevation of the rear end of themechanism, portions of the uncoupling levers being broken away.

Thecar-coupler'` l-'llustrated in the drawy ingsis of the Master Car" Builders? .standL ard I[Ii-,type having a lock 2 -which isinovably` connected to a link 3 that.projectsfldow'iie5 wardly through the coupler head.` The link l 3 is piv'otally connected to a'swinging lift lever vrwhich latter isitselfpivotallyjattached to the under side of the'cou'plerliead. The link 3 and pivoted'lift lever a may be and preferably are constructed and arranged the bottom lock lift coupler. l i i If it is desired to provide-fora widev range of lateral movement vof the car coupler its of the invention..

kshank may be formed with a pivot pin opening 5 .which is adapted to receive a tail pin (not` shown) for pivotally connecting the coupler to the draft rigging in a well known manner.

Operatively connected to the swinging member 4 is a vertically rotatable member 6 which is movably supported rearwardly of the coupler lock by a link device 7 This link device 7 is adapted to swing both lengthwise and transversely of the car so as to accommodate itself to the unlocking rotation of the member 6 in any position which the coupler may assume in service. The swingingdev-ice 7 maybe conveniently suspended directly from the coupler carrier iron 8 through vso the intervention of a hook and eye connection,A the swinging member being provided at its upper` end `with a hook 9 which projects through a transversely elongated eye 10 formed in the carrier iron.

The forward Lend of the vertically' rotatable member 6, which is preferably a simple bar,.is fashioned with a hook 11 adapted to cooperate with the eye or aperture 12 at the inner end of the pivoted member 4, the members 4 'and 6 thusbeing operatively connected in an interlocked manner. The rear end of the rotatable member 6 projects through an opening 13 in the swinging support 7 and is slidably movable with respect to said support, the latter'preferably being provided with a convex face or seat I 14 located in the vertical axis of the swinging support 7 and adapted to. engage the under side of the rotatable member 6.

` The swinging support 7 is provided with a. plurality of. vertically spaced lugs 15 and 16, respectively, between which the rotatable member-6 extends. As will be seen upon reference to Fig. 2, these lugs are adapted to engage opposite sides of said rotatable member to apply thereto a pair of forces constituting a force couple inducing its unlocking rotation. To increase the area of contact of the lugs 15 and .16 with themember 6, the inner faces of said lugs may, as shown, be of beveled form. Preferablythe opening 13 in the swinging support 7 is of sufficient size and the side walls 17 .of said vsupport are spaced sufiiciently far Vapart to permitthe rotatable member 6 to have some angling movement transversely of the car with respect to the swinging tend toward the sides ofthe car and.A preferably are-'of the .well known vform illus trated in the l. 1H. lililliken Patent No. 1,184,116 dated May 23, '1916. The levers, either of which maybe operated to rotate the swinging Vdevice 7 upon its supporting` `eye 10 as a center, are provided with upl In assembling the mechanism the hook 11 of thev vertically rotatable Lmember 6 is hooked through the eye12 of the pivote'd member 4 and the swinging support 7 is then placed upon the rear end .ofthe member6.l The swinging support is thereafter turned laterally untilit is at rightiangles to its normal position *when` its hook 9inay beinserted in the eye 10 of thecarrier iron. rlhe supporting member is then dropped to ordinary position and the uptu-rnedends 19 of the unooupling levers are :rinserted through the openings 20 in the sides of the swinging support. The outer ends ofthe uny couplinglevers-18 are then engaged with f supporting brackets near the sides' of the car in the usual manner. When so assembled the parts are interlockedagainst accidental disassociation.

In draft and lbufing movements of the coupler 1 the rotatable member .6 yslides through the swinging support 7 as may be necessary. During an vunlocking operation the supportingl device 7 swings lengthwise of the caras may be required to cause the rotatable member 6 to effect an vunlocking movement of the pivoted member 4 carried by the coupler head.

le claim 1 v 1. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a ear coupler and its lock, of means for moving said lock to unlocked position, said means involving a rotatable member operatively connected to said lock and extending rearwardly therefrom, the center of rotati'oi'i of said member being to the rear of said lock and at a fixed distance from the adjacent end ofthe car,and.swin;,'v-V 120 ing` means for supporting said rotatable member, said last named meansbeingfmov# able with respect to said rotatable member and being adapted to swing upon the center of rotation of said member.

2. In an uncoupling mechanism, .the combination with a car coupler and its lock, of means for moving said lock to unlocked po-` sition, said means involving a lrotatable member operatively connected to said lock v vifirasfis and extending rearwardly therefrom, and swinging means movable with respect to and suppor-ting said rotatable member, said I swinging means being adapted i to swing v lengthwise ofthe c ar about the 'center of ro` tation of said member. i y, 3. In an uncoupling mechanism, the coinbination with a car coupler and its lock, of

means for moving said lock to unlocked pobination with a car coupler and its lock, .of means for moving said lock to unlocked position, said means involving a vertically rotatable member operatively connected to said lock, a rotatable uncoupling lever, and means adapted to swing lengthwise of the car affording a support for saidvertically rotatable member and said uncoupling lever,-

said vertically 'rotatable member being adapted to be engaged on opposite sides-by said supporting means, and said uncoupling lever being adapted to actuate said supporting means.'

. 5. In an uncoupling mechanism, the comvbination with a car coupler and its lock, ofV means for moving said lock to unlocked po-l sition, said means involving a rotatable member operatively connected to said lock, means adapted to swing lengthwise of the car affording a support for said lrotatable member, and an uncoupling lever adapted toactuate said supporting means, said supporting means when actuated by said uncoupling lever being adapted to transmit vto said rotatable member a force couple effecting an unlocking rotation of said rotatable member. 6.'l In an uncoupling mechanism, the conibination with a car coupler, its lock and carrier iron, of means for moving said lock to unlocked position, said means involving a. rotatable member operatively connected to said lock, means movably connected to said carrier ironl and adapted to swing lengthwise of the car affording a support for'said rotatable member, and -an uncoupling lever adapted to actuate said supporting means, said supporting means when actuated by said uncoupling lever being adapted to transmit to said rotatable member a force couple effecting an unlocking rotation of said rotatable member. y

7. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a car coupler, its lock and carrotatable member, and means for said `supporting means to causa thelatter to `rier iron, vof' 'means fore-moving said lockte.

unlocked position, said i means` involving a rotatableunember operatively connected 5to saidlock, i carrier iron-y affording a supportfor said meansy movably :connected to said actuating y effect `an unlocking rotation zof said rotay table member, said supporting means being adapted to swing both lengthwise (of. the j ca ry and transversely thereof. i I

8. In an uncoupling mechanism,;the -com- 4 bination with a car coupler, itslockand carrier iron, of meansf'or moving saidy lock to unlocked position, said means involving a rotatable member,l swinging fmeans carried by said coupler for' movably connecting. said rotatable meiiiberft'e` said lock, .means for supporting said rotatable member rearwardly of said lock, and' means forI actuating porting means and supporting means, and said rotatable member being adapted to bey operatively engaged on opposite sides by said supporting means: K-

9. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a car couplerand its lock, ofv

.means for moving said lock to-unlocked posi-: tion, said means involving a rotatable member, means adapted to swing lengthwise of."

the car affording support for said rotatable i member rearwardly of said lock, and an uncoupling lever eXtending transversely of the car and adapted yto actuate said swinging means to effect an unlocking rotation of said rotatable `member, said swinging means being provided with-an opening through' which said rotatable member is slidablv movable and also beingprovided with vertically spaced lugs which are respectively -adapted; to engage opposite sides of said rotatable', member.

10. In an uncoupling mechanism, the combination with a car coupler and its lock, of means for moving said lock to unlocked position, saidmeans involving a rotatable member operatively connected to said lock, a

- swinging device affording' a support for said rotatablefmember rearwardly of said lock iio and adapted to effect an unlocking rotation of said member, adapted to actuate swinging device having an opening adapted and an uncoupling lever: saidswinging device, said to receive the rear endof said rotatable l` member and having' an opening adaptedv to permit the entry ofsaid'uncoupling lever.

ll. In an uncoupling mechanism, thecombination with a car coupler, its lock and carrier iron, of means' for vmoving said lock to f unlocked position, said means. involvinga rotatable member, swinging means for movably connecting saidrotatable member to said supporting means to effect an unlocking rotation `of said rotatable member, said sup- V said carrier iron having a hook and eye connection, said rotatable member beingslidable with respect to said,"

said lock, aswinging device affording a support for salidrotatable member rearwardly of said lock and 'adapted to eifect an unlock- `ing rotation of said member, and anuncoupling lever movably engaging said swinging device and extending therefrom toward the side of the car, said swinging device being provided with a plurality of vertically spaced lugs adapted to engage said rotatable member and between which said member eX- tends and also being provided with meansv of attachment to said carrier iron.

12. In an uncoupling` mechanism, the combination with a carcoupler, its lock and carrier iron, of means for moving said lock to unlocked positiom' said meansinvolving a rotatable member, swinging means for movablycOnnecting ksaid vrotatable member to said lock7 a swinging device a'iiording a Sup port 'for said rotatablev member rearwardly of said lock actuatingsaid rotatable member throughthe intermediacy of Said swinging device5 Vswinging device having a' plurality'of ver.

tic/ally spaced lugs between which said rotaand adapted to eii'ecty an unloclr-l 1 `mg rotation of said member, and means -or said table member extends and valso having ay conisili-io H. urLLiKnN. J 5 vvrLLmi/rl ,i nnefiin-y'k 

